"The Rabbits" by John Marsden Illustrated by Shaun Tan 1998 Lothian Books

This book was reviewed in "The Literature Base" vol 17, issue 4, October 2006.

"The Rabbits" is definitely a picture book for older readers, many of whom will be familiar with Marsden's YA novels. It has been descibed as both an allegory and a metaphor on the colonisation of Australia. The 'original' rabbits symbolise Aboriginal Australians in both text - "many grandparents ago" - and illustration - rounded, warm and brown with white stripes. The 'invading' rabbits, by contrast, are linear, cold, jagged.

More and more rabbits come to the land, bringing technology and grand plans for expansion. Students of History will recognise that, like the First Fleet, the rabbits arrive in thirteen ships. Their flag is a red and gold variation of the Union Jack.

The illustrations change as the story progresses; originally vivid and glorious, they become sepia and macabre. Original rabbit children are stolen, invading rabbits live by the code that "Might = Right" and the end of the book is overwhelmingly sad and hopeless.

This amazing book is beautiful, devastating, symbolic, rich and relevant. It could be used in a multitude of ways in the secondary classroom; contrast it with "Watership Down" or "Play little victims", analyse it in Australian History, decipher the illustrations in Art, complete an English unit on allegories ... this book offers a realm of possibilities.

'Into the Forest' Anthony Browne

'Into the Forest' brings a feeling of separation and loneliness to the reader very early in the book. We read even on the title page the message 'Come home Dad'. We wonder if the broken soldier is a hint; is it the terrible storm outside or a noisy argument disturbing our narrator's sleep. These 'cues for multiple constructions' are ambiguous but not necessary to the story.
An evil electric light hovers over the dinner table casting illogical shadows where Dad should be sitting. Another 'Come home Dad' note is on the TV and light switch, references to science and technology.
The young boy walks into the forest and encounters ghosts from classic children's stories. Jack tries to sell his cow with the silhouette of Jack's profile on her side, a twining beanstalk in the background. Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, a pumpkin and a slipper, a spinning wheel and a high tower and of course a prince on a horse all help to bring intertextuality to the tale. We weave together all we have read and heard and what we see in this forest and can guess at the boy's future.

Meredith Leamon

Postmodern Picture Books

The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley

by

Colin Thompson & Amy Lissiat (2005)

Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic

Irony – created between the visual image and the text. A number of the visual images are much more exaggerated and disgusting than the wording suggests. There is also irony between the calm, easy-to-read text relating to the Riley’s point of view, and the rushed, breathless and verbose passages about humans in general. The story itself is ironic in the way it keeps reminding up that rats have very short lives yet at the very end of the book we find a small image of the rats alive but a coffin with the mans name and hat on it. This is also the first time the man is humanized by giving him a name, Norman; but we know the rats name from the beginning. People in the book are presented as mostly dull coloured, unpleasant and unhappy, juxtaposed against the content and endearing bright pink rat/s.

Multiple Constructions – certain images such as the smoking cherubim poses question including where has innocence gone? Or is it a way to get around bans on advertising.

Macro and Micro Views – the illustrations fluctuate between double page images, to what appears as a collection of photographs, pages torn from books, a painting hung on a wall and the small image at the back of the book which shares the page with the publishing details.

Isomorphic Relations – Famous art works which now have Norman, complete in his hat, glasses and mustache as the focus. Irony is also included here with ‘Venus’ now pictured in a hot pink bathing suit and blushing.

Study Task - Postmodernism - Suzanne

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?
Lauren Child

Herb falls into the book of fairytales where he finds himself in the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. Familiar fairytales have been intertwined into the book and Herb runs from one story to the next. The structure of the book is fictionalised with Herb escaping the angry queen by using scissors to cut a hole in the palace floor and by drawing a door on the wall to take him to the next page.
The formatting is avant garde with text appearing in all direections, even upside down. Text differs in both sizes and fonts, and Herb finally escapes the book by scrambling up the letters.

Study task 1 - Postmodern picture book

At the Beach: Postcards from Crabby Spit.by Roland Harvey
Retrieved from Reading Time vol 49, No 3.

The book uses several narrators..being the 3 children giving their impressions of the day. The postcards are written in childlike handwriting . The author also takes part in the story riding his bike to the spit and appearing in all the double page illustrations.
The pictures are colourful with much to draw childrens attention. Not only do they go looking for the references made in the postcards to grandma, but can also look for the items the author loses along the way. Can look at the basic story via the postcards or look further and follow the plight of others in the illustrations. Encourages repeat readings to discover the many adventures happening at Crabby Spit.

Study Task 1 - Blog A

Postmodern Picture Books - by Gabrielle Langton

Picture books chosen from Reading Time, August 2003, vol. 47, no. 3.

In 2003 the winning picture book of the year was 'In Flanders Fields'. Brian Harrison Lever (illustrations) and Norman Jorgensen (text). This book fits the criteria of readers who bring literary/iconic/historical/political experiences and understanding to the reading of the book. Although it is a simple story, High School students would possess many more layers of understanding than for example Junior Primary children. However, as the book is simply told, with large though rather dark illustrations many primary school children would also enjoy this heroic tale.

One of the 2003 Honour Books was 'A Year on Our Farm'. Andrew McLean (illustrations) and Penny Matthews (text). This satisfies the criteria of macro and micro views of the book as a whole, not just a series of episodes. Every page has a relationship with the previous and following pages. We see not only the months but the seasons as they follow each other, and the changes which occur at the farm. The illustrations mirror the seasons and the details added by the story's narrator gives depth to the cycle of the year.

The interplay of the verbal and visual text create irony. The shortlisted book 'Jethro Byrde Fairy Child' by Bob Graham fits this criteria. The Australian Oxford Dictionary 2nd Edition defines irony as 'use of language with enhanced meaning for a privileged part of its audience'. In 'Jethro Byrde Fairy Child' only Annabel and Baby Sam saw the fairy visitors. Mum and Dad just played along - humouring Annabel by providing fairy fare but not really believing in Annabel's visitors. However, Annabel's hunt for fairy folk in the cement and weeds paid off and she goes to sleep with fairy music in her ears.

Welcome

Welcome to the postmodern picture book blog. Please share with us your discussion of the postmodern elements of your chosen picture book. A post of about 100 words is appropriate.